Korean Baseball Team Building First Stadium With A Mall

Baseball has quickly become a major entertainment industry in South Korea since the Korean Baseball Organization was founded in 1982. Now, one of the KBO’s teams is set to push the boundaries of baseball entertainment even further.

The SSG Landers — owned by Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group — are building a new 21,000-seat stadium in Incheon, the first in the world to have an integrated shopping mall.

While it’s unclear how much the project costs, it is also purportedly the first professional sports venue in South Korea to be completely privately funded. SSG will most likely be footing the entire bill, as its Starfield brand will serve as the attached shopping mall.

A domed roof will cover the stadium itself and will seek to host events — such as concerts and community events — throughout the year, not just during baseball season. There will be an infinity pool in the upper reaches of the building to watch games.

The mall won’t be the only attraction attached to the stadium: SSG also plans to build a hotel with rooms looking into the stadium. 

There is currently no timeline for the project’s completion.

For the project, SSG contracted architecture and interior design firm DLA+, which has mostly undertaken building and renovation projects for Pittsburgh-area professional and collegiate sports teams.